Fishing reel, fishing information display apparatus, and fishing information display system

ABSTRACT

A fishing reel has a reel unit that is mounted on the fishing rod, a spool that is rotatably attached to the reel unit, a tension detector that detects tension applied to the said fishing line, and a communication portion that transmits to a fishing information display apparatus data of the tension applied to the fishing line detected by the tension detector. The fishing information display apparatus is provided externally of a fishing reel, and receives data communicated from the fishing reel. The fishing information display apparatus includes a body member, a display portion provided in the body member, a communication portion that receives from the fishing reel data of the tension applied to the fishing line, and a controller that is displays on the display portion the data of tension received from the fishing reel. A navigator away from an angler can certainly have information of the fishing situation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/074,867 filed on Mar. 9, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,499.The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/074,867 ishereby incorporated herein by reference.

This application also claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No.2004-089702. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.2004-089702 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fishing reel. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to a fishing reel that is adapted to beattached to a fishing rod for winding and releasing fishing line.

2. Background Information

Generally, a fishing reel has a reel unit, a spool rotatably attached tothe reel unit, and a handle for rotating the spool. The spool isattached to a spool shaft supported by the reel unit. The handle isnon-rotatably attached to a handle shaft, which is disposed in parallelwith the spool shaft.

In this type of fishing reel, a trolling reel, which is a relativelylarge dual-bearing reel for so-called big game fishing of big fish suchas swordfish and tuna, is known. Japanese Patent Application Publication2000-262196 discloses an example of such trolling reel.

In fishing with this type of trolling reel, an angler catches a fish bytrailing terminal tackle connected to fishing line from a moving boat sothat the terminal tackle follows behind the boat. Generally, such a boatis equipped with a fish finder. A navigator verbally gives the anglerinformation acquired by the fish finder, such as the state of sea floor,and fish water depth. Thus, the angler trails a lure at the fish waterdepth based on the information. In return, the angler verbally gives thenavigator information about the current fishing situation, or whether afish strikes, such that the navigator can change the boat speed or thetravel direction of the boat based on the information.

When above conventional trolling reel is used, information such as thecurrent fishing situation, or whether a fish strikes can be conveyedonly verbally from the angler to the navigator. Accordingly, it isdifficult for the navigator who is far from the angler to acquire theinformation, in the case, for example, where the angler is fighting as afish strikes. Particularly when a fish strikes, frequent connection isnecessary between the angler and the navigator to suitably change theboat speed or the travel direction of the boat through cooperationbetween the angler and the navigator. However, such information of thecurrent fishing situation or whether a fish strikes is not conveyed tothe navigator properly, the navigator cannot suitably change the boatspeed, or the travel direction of the boat. This may affect the fishingresult.

In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved fishingreel, fishing information display apparatus, and fishing informationdisplay system that overcome the problems of the conventional art. Thisinvention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, whichwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to allow a navigator who is farfrom an angler to acquire information from the angler in a reliablemanner.

A fishing reel according to a first aspect of the invention a fishingreel that is configured to communicate with an external apparatus andadapted to be attached to a fishing rod to wind and release a fishingline. The fishing reel includes a reel unit, a spool, a handle, atension detector, and a communication portion. The reel unit is adaptedto be mounted on the fishing rod. The spool is rotatably attached to thereel unit. The fishing line is adapted to be wounded around the spool.The handle is provided in the reel unit and rotates the spool. Thetension detector is configured to detect tension applied to the saidfishing line. The communication portion is configured to transmit to theexternal apparatus data of the tension applied to the fishing linedetected by the tension detector.

This fishing reel has the tension detector that detects the tensionapplied to the fishing line, and the communication portion that cantransmit the data of the tension applied to the fishing line. In thiscase, a navigator who is positioned away from an angler can have afishing information display apparatus at hand, for instance, in whichthe tension applied to the fishing line is displayed. Accordingly, thenavigator can certainly have information on the tension applied to thefishing line, that is, information of whether a fish strikes or thecurrent fishing situation such as a condition of pull of a fish in realtime.

A fishing reel according to a second aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to the first aspect of the invention, in whichthe tension detector includes a torque sensor that detects a torqueapplied to the spool. In this case, for example, the torque sensor isprovided on a spool shaft that rotates in cooperation with the spool,and detects the torque applied to the spool. Accordingly, it is possibleto easily detect the tension applied to the fishing line correspondingto the torque applied to the spool.

A fishing reel according to a third aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to the second aspect of the invention, furtherincluding a drag mechanism that brakes the rotation of the spool. Thetorque sensor detects the torque applied to the drag mechanism. In thiscase, for example, the torque applied to the drag mechanism such as astar drag attached to a handle shaft, or a lever drag attached to aspool shaft, is detected. Accordingly, it is possible to accuratelydetect the tension applied to the fishing line corresponding to thetorque applied to the drag mechanism.

A fishing reel according to a fourth aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to the third aspect of the invention, furtherincluding a one-way clutch that is adapted to selectively prohibitreverse rotation of the spool in a line-releasing direction. The torquesensor is attached between the one-way clutch and the drag mechanism. Inthis case, the torque sensor is attached to a spool shaft or a handleshaft between the one-way clutch and the drag mechanism, for example.Accordingly, it is possible to easily detect the torque applied to thedrag mechanism.

A fishing reel according to a fifth aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to the third or fourth aspect of the invention,in which the torque sensor includes a magnetostrictor magnetic that isdesigned to change its permeability depending on the torques applied tothe drag mechanism, and a detection coil that is provided in a peripheryof the magnetostrictor and configured to electrically detect the changein the magnetic permeability. In this case, since the torque can bedetected only by providing a magnetostrictor that can be composed of athin film or the like on a spool shaft or a handle shaft, and thedetection coil in its periphery, it is not necessary to provide anelectric device on a rotation part. Accordingly, it is possible todetect the torque in a non-contact manner. As a result, it is possibleto provide easy electric wiring of the torque sensor, and compactconstruction of torque sensor.

A fishing reel according to a sixth aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to any of the first to fifth aspects of theinvention, further including a speed detector that is configured todetect a rotational speed of the spool. The communication portion isconfigured to transmit to the external apparatus data of the rotationalspeed of the spool detected by the speed detector. In this case, forexample, when an externally-provided fishing information displayapparatus displays the rotational speed of the spool, a navigator canhave information of the speed of rotation of the spool.

A fishing reel according to a seventh aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to any of the first to sixth aspects of theinvention, further including a water depth sensor that is configured tomeasure the water depth of a terminal tackle attached to the fishingline. The communication portion is configured to transmit to theexternal apparatus data of the water depth of the terminal tacklemeasured by the water depth sensor. In this case, for example, when anexternally-provided fishing information display displays the water depthof the terminal tackle, a navigator can have information of the locationof the terminal tackle.

A fishing reel according to an eighth aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to the sixth aspect of the invention, furtherincluding a water depth sensor that is configured to measure the waterdepth of a terminal tackle attached to the fishing line. Thecommunication portion is configured to transmit to the externalapparatus data of the rotational speed of the spool detected by thespeed detector and data of the water depth of the terminal tacklemeasured by the water depth sensor.

A fishing reel according to an eighth aspect of the invention is thefishing reel according to any of the first through eight aspects of theinvention, wherein the communication portion is configured to transmitdata wirelessly. In this case, for example, when the fishing reel isconnected to an externally provided fishing information display by usinga wireless method such as UWB (Ultra Wideband) or Bluetooth, a code forcable connection is not required.

A fishing information display apparatus according to a tenth aspect ofthe invention is provided externally of a fishing reel, the fishinginformation display apparatus being configured to receive datacommunicated from the fishing reel. The fishing information displayapparatus includes a body member, a display portion, a communicationportion, and a controller. The display portion is provided in the bodymember. The communication portion is configured to receive from thefishing reel data of tension applied to the fishing line. The controlleris configured to display on the display portion the data of tensionreceived from the fishing reel.

This fishing information display can display on the display portion thetension applied to the fishing line provided from the fishing reel. Inthis case, a navigator who is positioned away from an angler can have afishing information display at hand. Accordingly, the navigator cancertainly know the tension applied to the fishing line, that is,information on whether a fish strikes or current fishing situation suchas a condition of pull of a fish in real time.

In a fishing information display apparatus according to an eleventhaspect of the invention, in the fishing information display according tothe tenth aspect of the invention, in which the communication portion isconfigured to receive from the fishing reel data of rotational speed ofa spool, and the controller is configured to display on the displayportion the data of rotational speed of the spool. In this case, forexample, the rotational speed of the spool is displayed on the displayportion. Accordingly, a navigator can know the situation of the spoolrotation.

A fishing information display apparatus according to a twelfth aspect ofthe invention is the fishing information display according to the tenthor eleventh aspect of the invention, in which the communication portionis configured to receive from the fishing reel data of rotational waterdepth of a terminal tackle attached to fishing line, and the controlleris configured to display on the display portion the data of rotationalwater depth of the terminal tackle. In this case, the water depth of theterminal tackle is displayed on the display portion. Accordingly, anavigator can know the situation of the terminal tackle.

A fishing information display according to a thirteenth aspect of theinvention is the fishing information display according to any of thetenth to twelfth aspects of the invention, in which the communicationportion is further configured to receive data from a fish finder that isprovided externally of the fishing information display apparatus, andthe controller is further configured to display on the display portionthe data from the fish finder. In this case, fish-finding informationcan be displayed on the display portion.

A fishing information display apparatus according to a fourteenth aspectof the invention is a fishing information display according to the tenthaspect of the invention, further including a fish finder portion that isconfigured to obtain fish location data. The controller is furtherconfigured to display on the display portion the fish location data fromthe fish finder portion. Generally, a monitor of fish finder is providedin navigator's room. In this case, the monitor of fish finder can alsoserve as the fishing information display.

A fishing information display system according to a fifteenth aspect ofthe invention includes a fishing reel and a fishing information displayapparatus. The fishing reel is adapted to be attached to a fishing rodto wind and release a fishing line, and includes a reel unit, a spool, ahandle, a tension detector, and a communication portion. The reel unitis adapted to be mounted on the fishing rod. The spool is rotatablyattached to the reel unit, the fishing line being adapted to be woundedaround the spool. The handle is provided in the reel unit to rotate thespool. The tension detector is configured to detect tension applied tothe said fishing line. The communication portion is configured totransmit data of the tension applied to the fishing line detected by thetension detector. The fishing information display apparatus is providedexternally of a fishing reel, and configured to receive datacommunicated from the fishing reel. The fishing information displayapparatus includes a body member, a display portion, a communicationportion, and a controller. The display portion is provided in the bodymember. The communication portion is configured to receive from thefishing reel data of tension applied to the fishing line. The controlleris configured to display on the display portion the data of tensionreceived from the fishing reel.

This fishing information display system can display the tension appliedto the fishing line provided from the communication portion of thefishing reel on the display portion of the fishing information displayapparatus. In this case, a navigator who is away from an angler can havea fishing information display apparatus at hand. Accordingly, thenavigator can certainly know the tension applied to the fishing line,that is, information on whether a fish strikes or current fishingsituation such as a condition of pull of a fish in real time.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fishing reel in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fishing reel in accordance withthe embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fishing reel in accordance with theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional enlarged view of the right part of thefishing reel in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional enlarged view of the left part of thefishing reel in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of a lever drag mechanism inaccordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a torque sensor inaccordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a control block diagram of the fishing reel and a fishinginformation display system in accordance with the embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a plane view of the fishing information display apparatus inaccordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view showing a screen of a display portion of the fishinginformation display apparatus in accordance with the embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fishing reel in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional enlarged view of the left part of thefishing reel in accordance with still another embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 13 is a control block diagram of the fishing reel and a fishinginformation display system in accordance with still another embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained withreference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the following descriptions of theembodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration onlyand not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

A fishing reel 100, which is in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention, is a large dual-bearing reel used for trolling, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A dual-bearing reel 100 is furnished with: acylindrical reel unit 1, a spool shaft 2 mounted rotatably in thecentral part of the reel unit 1, a spool 3 rotatably but axiallyimmovably supported on the spool shaft 2, and a handle 4 disposedlaterally on the reel unit 1. Likewise, within the reel unit 1 interior,the fishing reel 100 is furnished with: a torque-transmitting mechanism6 that transmits torque from the handle 4 to the spool 3; a lever-dragmechanism 7 that brakes rotation of the spool 3 in the line-releasingdirection; and an anti-reverse mechanism 9 that controls rotation of thespool 3 in the line-releasing direction.

The reel unit 1 has: a left/right pair of plate-shaped first and secondside plates 10 and 11 made of metal; and a perforated cylindrical reelunit 12 made of metal, to either end of which the first and second sideplates 10 and 11 are joined coaxially by spigot joints and fastened by aplurality of fixing screws 8. The approximately central portions of thefirst and second side plates 10 and 11 rotatably support either end ofthe spool shaft 2. A boss 11 a protruding axially outward is disposed inthe second side plate 11 in the handle 4 side for supporting the spoolshaft 2; and on the periphery of the boss 11 a, a thick-walled,disk-shaped bearing block 15 for mounting the handle shaft 5 of thehandle 4 is screwed fast.

Harness lugs 13 for attachment to a reel harness are mounted with aspace between them on the upper part, both between the reel body 12 andthe first side plate 10, and between the reel body 12 and the secondside plate 11. The under portion of the reel unit 12 is provided with arod attachment part 14 for mounting the reel onto a fishing rod. Asshown in FIGS.-1 and 2, an information communication portion 74 and aswitch operation portion 77 are mounted so as to be exposed in the frontpart of the first side plate 10 of the reel unit 1. The informationcommunication portion 74 can wirelessly provide information of the waterdepth of terminal tackle to a later described fishing informationdisplay apparatus 80 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) that is provided externally ofthe fishing reel 100. The switch operation portion 77 turns theinformation communication portion 74 ON/OFF.

The spool shaft 2 is rotatably supported in the first and second sideplates 10 and 11 on the reel unit 1 with a pair of left and rightbearings 31 a, 31 b disposed at either end. Also, spaced axially inwardthereof are two bearings 32 a, 32 b disposed at either end of the spool3, by which the spool 3 is rotatably supported. The components of alater-described moving mechanism 29 for the lever-drag mechanism 7adjoin the right side of the bearing 31 b outer race, which is on theright end of the spool shaft 2. Additionally, a later-described thirdgear for the rotation transmission mechanism 6 adjoins the left side ofthe inner race. The reverse rotation check mechanism 9 adjoins the rightside of the bearing 31 a inner race on the left end of the spool shaft2. Further, the first side plate 10 abuts the right end of the outerrace. The spool 3 abuts on the left side of the outer race of theright-side bearing 32 b that supports the spool 3 via a hydrothermaldrag mechanism 33. Further, disk springs 34 abut on the right side ofthe inner race via a washer (not shown). The disk springs 34 areprovided in order to make the drag force adjustable over a broad rangewith respect to pivot of a later-described brake operating lever,without the drag force elevating abruptly. A later-described second diskplate in the lever drag mechanism 7 abuts on the left side of the innerrace of the left-side bearing 32 a that supports the spool 3. The rightside of the outer race of the left-side bearing 32 a abuts on the spool3.

The spool 3 has a bobbin trunk 3 a, and flanges 3 b that are formedintegrally with the bobbin trunk 3 a on either end. A sound-emittingring 35 is disposed on the end surface of the right-side flange portion3 b. The sound-emitting ring 35 has many sound-emitting holes 35 aarranged in the circumferential direction for emitting sound during dragoperation. A sound-emitting pin 36 attached on the second side plate 11is opposed to the sound-emitting hole 35 a of the sound-emitting ring35. This sound-emitting pin 36 is urged toward the protruding side. Thesound-emitting pin 36 can shift between an advancing position and aretreating position by the lever 37 (see FIG. 3), and is normallypositioned at the advancing position by the lever 37 except when theterminal tackle is cast. Accordingly, a click sound is normally emittedwhen the spool 3 rotates.

The handle 4 is fixedly coupled to the protruding end of the tubularhandle shaft 5, which is disposed below the spool shaft 2 and parallelwith the spool shaft 2. The handle shaft 5 is rotatably supported by thetwo bearings 33 a and 33 b that are disposed under the boss portion 11 aand spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. The bearings 33a and 33 b are mounted on the both ends of the inner peripheral surfaceof a cylindrical member 15 a inserted into the bearing block 15 belowthe boss portion 11 a. As shown in FIG. 4, a slit 5 a penetrating in theaxial direction is formed at the fore end of the handle shaft 5. Afemale screw 5 d is formed on the fore end of the interior surface ofthe handle shaft 5.

The rotation transfer mechanism 6 has a change-speed mechanism that canswitch between two speeds (high and low speeds). As shown in FIGS. 2 and4, the rotation transmission mechanism 6 has first, second, third andfourth gears 16, 17, 18 and 19, an engaging member 20, two compressingsprings 21 a and 21 b, and an operation shaft 22. The first gear 16 forhigh-speed winding and the second gear 17 for low-speed winding arerotatably supported by the handle shaft 5 of the handle 4. The third andfourth gears 18 and 19 are non-rotatably attached to the spool shaft 2in the state where they mesh with the first and second gears 16 and 17,respectively. The engaging member 20 couples with one of first andsecond gears 16 and 17 to transmit the rotation. The two compressionsprings 21 a and 21 b position the engaging member 20 at the both sidesof the engaging member 20. The operation shaft 22 sets the position ofthe engaging member 20.

The engaging member 20 is non-rotatably disposed in the slit 5 a of thehandle shaft 5. A protrusion portion 20 a is provided in the centralpart of the engaging member 20. The protrusion portion 20 a is providedin the inner peripheral side of a flange-shaped spring holder 24 thatreceives the compression spring 21 a. The spring holder 24 is fastenedto the fore end of the handle shaft 5 by screwing.

The operation shaft 22 penetrates the handle shaft 5 in the interior ofthe handle shaft 5 and protrudes outwardly. The operation shaft 22 issupported movably in the axial direction by a guiding portion 5 b thatis screwed at the protruding end of the handle shaft 5, and a guidingportion 5 c that is formed on a central part of the inner peripheralsurface of the handle shaft 5. A groove 22 a is formed at the outwardprotruding end of the operation shaft 22. A slid type stopper 23 thatengages with the groove 22 a is provided on the handle 4. A springholder member 22 b that receives the compression spring 21 b is attachedto the opposite end of the operation shaft 22.

In the rotation transmission mechanism 6 with this configuration, whenthe operation shaft 22 is pressed as shown in FIG. 2 and the upper partrelative to the center axis of the operation shaft 22 of FIG. 4, theengaging member 20 is positioned at the second gear 17, and the rotationof the handle 4 is transmitted to the fourth gear 19 via the second gear17. Thus, the spool shaft 2 and spool 3 rotate at low speed. On theother hand, when the operation shaft 22 is pulled outwardly by slidingthe slide-type stopper 23 as shown in the lower part relative to thecenter axis of the operation shaft of FIG. 4, the engaging member 20 ispositioned at the first gear 16, and the rotation of the handle 4 istransmitted to the third gear 18 via the first gear 16. Thus, the spoolshaft 2 and spool 3 rotate at high speed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lever drag mechanism 7 has a braking disk 25, apair of friction disks 26 and 27, coil springs 28, and a movingmechanism 29. The braking disk 25 is attached to the left end (in viewof FIG. 2) of spool 3. The pair of friction disks 26 and 27 are arrangedat the both sides of the braking disk 25. The coil spring 28 (see FIG.6), which is an example of the urging means, urges the braking disk 25from the spool 3 in the direction that is away from the friction disk27. The moving mechanism 29 oscillates the spool 3 and the friction disk27 in the axial direction of the spool shaft 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the brake disk 25 is for example a washer-shapeddisk member made of stainless steel, and is mounted movably in thedirection of contact/noncontact with the spool 3, and non-rotatably withrespect to the spool 3 on the end face of the left-side flange 3 b onthe spool 3 with a plurality of attaching pins 40 that are spaced atcircumferential intervals. The attaching pin 40 has a threaded portion40 a to be screwed on the end face of the of flange portion 3 b, aguiding portion 40 b with a diameter larger than the threaded portion 40a, and a head portion with a diameter larger than the guiding portion 40b. The braking disk 25 is attached to the guiding portion 40 b of theattaching pin 40 so as to be movable in the axial direction. Thus, thebraking disk 25 can move by a predetermined distance, which is obtainedby subtracting the thickness of the braking disk 25 from the axialdirection length of the guiding portion 40 b. These attaching pins 40serve as both a rotation-stopping member and a restriction member forthe braking disk 25. The braking disk 25 is urged by the coil springs 28in the brake-release state, and thus is positioned at a position incontact with the head portion 40 c. It is noted that FIGS. 4 and 5 showthe braking state in the upper part relative to the center axis of thespool shaft, and the brake-release state in lower part.

The friction disk 26 is disposed on a face of the brake disk 25 that ison the side opposite from the spool 3. A ring-shaped friction plate 26 amade of abrasion-resistant material, e.g., carbon graphite orfiber-reinforced resin, is fastened to the surface of the friction disk26 that opposes the brake disk 25, by a suitable fastening member suchas screws. In the central portion of the friction disk 26 is acylindrical boss portion 26 b; and a pin 2 a, which is fitted into thespool shaft 2, passing through the spool shaft 2 diametrically,interlocks with the boss portion 26 b. Accordingly, the friction disk 26is mounted on the spool shaft 2 non-rotatably, and rotates together withthe spool shaft 2. Further, a ratchet wheel 50 in the reverse rotationcheck mechanism 9 is in contact with the left-end surface (in view ofFIG. 5) of the boss portion 26 b on the friction disk 26. The ratchetwheel 50 is attached non-rotatably to the outer periphery surface of theboss portion 26 b by a suitable interlocking structure, such asserration. The ratchet wheel 50 adjoins the inner race of the bearing 31a. The outer race of the bearing 31 a adjoins the first side plate 10,as mentioned above. As a result, the friction disk 26 cannot shift inthe axially outward direction (leftward in FIG. 5) of the spool shaft 2i.e., in the direction moving away from the brake disk 25; and it isprohibited by the ratchet wheel 50 from rotating in the line-releasingdirection.

The reverse rotation check mechanism 9 is a ratchet-type mechanismincluding the ratchet wheel 50 provided with saw teeth 50 a at itsperiphery, and a ratchet pawl 51 that interlocks with the tip of the sawteeth 50 a and is disposed on the outer periphery of the ratchet wheel50. The ratchet pawl 51 is pivotably attached in the internal surface ofthe first side plate 10, and is urged by an extended spring toward theside that interlocks with the saw teeth 50 a.

The friction disk 27 is disposed on a face of the braking disk 25 on thespool 3 side, and is attached to the spool shaft 2 so as to be movablein the axial direction of the spool 3 and rotatable in association withrotation of the friction disk 26 to come in contact with and move awayfrom the friction disk 26. A ring-shaped friction plate 27 a made ofabrasion-resistant material, e.g., carbon graphite or fiber-reinforcedresin, is fastened by screwing to the surface of the friction disk 27that opposes the brake disk 25. The friction disk 27 is non-rotatablyattached to the spool shaft 2 at the center by a pin 2 b that penetratesalong the axial direction of the spool shaft 2 and is mounted to thespool shaft 2. Further, the inner race of bearing 32 a adjoins theright-end surface (in view of FIG. 5) of the friction disk 27 via awasher 30. As a result, the friction disk 27 and the spool 3 urge oneanother via the bearing 32 a, while it urges the spool 3.

In the brake-release state, as shown in FIG. 6, the gap A between thefriction plate 26 a of the friction disk 26 and the braking disk 25 islarger than the gap B between the friction plate 27 a of the frictiondisk 27 and the braking disk 25. This reason will be described inbraking operation mentioned later.

A drag cover 41 covers the outside of friction disk 26. The drag cover41 is made of an aluminum alloy, for example, taking heat dissipationinto account. The drag cover 41 has a plate-shaped cover body 41 a withthe circular opening at the center, and a ring-shaped attachment portion41 b formed unitarily with the cover body 41 a on the outer peripherysurface. The cover body 41 a has a space in the interior thereof thatcan accommodate the friction disks 26 and 27, and the braking disk 25.The attachment portion 41 b is secured to the end surface of the flangeportion 3 b of the spool 3 with a suitable securing member such as aplurality of screws. When the cover is secured with a plurality ofscrews as mentioned above, control of torque for tightening is easy ascompared with the case where the entire cover is secured to the spool byscrewing. Accordingly, assembly can be easy.

A cylindrical seal portion 41 c that protrudes from the spool side endsurface toward the spool 3 side is provided on the attachment portion 41b. An annular groove 3 c is formed on the end surface of the flangeportion 3 b in the left-hand side of spool 3. The seal portion 41 c isinserted in this annular groove 3 c. When the seal portion 41 c isinserted in this annular groove 3 c, the spool 3 and the drag cover 41are centered by the inner peripheral surface of the seal portion 41 c.An O-ring 42 is attached to the outer periphery surface of seal portion41 c, thus, the infiltration of liquid from the outer periphery side isprevented.

A seal portion 41 d that protrudes toward the friction disk 26 side isprovided on the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 41 a. A sealmember 43 with a lip is attached to the seal portion 41 d. The fore endof the lip of the seal member 43 is in contact with the outer peripherysurface of the boss portion 26 b of the friction disk 26. Accordingly,the infiltration of liquid from the inner circumference side is alsoprevented. These O-ring 42 and seal member 43 seal the drag cover 41,the spool 3, the drag cover 41, and the friction disk 26, and thus sealthe inside of the drag cover 41 watertight, in which the braking disk25, and the friction disks 26 and 27 are provided. Combining the O-ring42 and the seal member 43 can achieve a reliable drag waterproofstructure. In order to provide easy attachment of the O-ring 42, anattachment groove for the O-ring 42 may be provided in the seal portion41 c.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the moving mechanism 29 includes: a brakehandling lever 45 provided pivotally on the reel unit 1; a pressingmechanism 46, which, in response to pivoting the brake handling memberclockwise in FIG. 3, presses against the spool 3 and the friction disk27 and shifts them leftward in FIG. 4; and a return spring 47, whichurges the friction disk 27 to shift the spool 3 and the friction disk 27rightward in FIG. 4 in response to the brake handling lever 45 movingcounterclockwise in FIG. 3.

The return spring 47 is fitted circumferentially about the spool shaft2, in the compressed state in between the both friction disks 26 and 27,and urges the both friction disks 26 and 27 into the separatedirections, urging the friction disk 27 and the spool 3 rightward inFIG. 5.

The brake-handling lever 45 is mounted to the reel unit 1 so as to bepivotable between the brake release position, indicated by solid linesin FIG. 3, and the maximum braking position, indicated by phantom lines.The brake-handling lever 45 includes a lever portion 45 a that ispivotally mounted to the boss portion 11 a, and a knob portion 45 b thatis fastened to the fore end of the lever portion 45 a. The basal end ofthe lever portion 45 a interlocks non-rotatably with the pressingmechanism 46, which composes a first cam member 60.

The pressing mechanism 46 has the first cam member 60, a second cammember 61, a pressing member 62, and a pressure adjustment mechanism 65.The first cam member 60 is attached to the inner peripheral surface ofthe boss portion 11 a rotatably but non-movably in the axial direction.The second cam member 61 moves in the axial direction by the pivoting ofthe first cam member 60. The pressing member 62 moves in the axialdirection in cooperation with the second cam member 61. The pressureadjustment mechanism 65 adjusts the pressure by the pressing member 62.

The first cam member 60 is a cylindrical member with two large/smalllevels, which pivots in cooperation with the pivoting of thebrake-handling lever 45. The base end of the lever portion 45 a of thebrake-handling lever 45 is non-rotatably interlocked with the outerperiphery surface of the small diameter level of the first cam member 60in the fore end side (rightward in FIG. 4) by a suitable interlockingstructure, such as serration. A slant cam 60 a is formed on the endsurface of the large diameter level in the base end side of the firstcam member 60.

The second cam member 61 is a cylindrical member, and is attached to theinner peripheral surface of the boss portion 11 a non-rotatably butmovably in the axial direction. A slant cam 61 a, which engages with theslant cam 60 a, is formed on the end surface of the second cam member 61in the outer periphery side opposing the first cam member 60. Pivotmovement of the first cam member 60 is converted into rectilinearmovement of the second cam member 61 in the axial direction by therelative pivoting of these two slant cams 60 a and 61 a. Thus, thesecond cam member 61 moves in the axial direction. Two interlocking pins63 protruding in the axial direction are provided to the second cammember 61. The fore ends of the interlocking pins 63 are interlockedwith interlock grooves 11 b, which are formed on the inner peripheralsurface of boss portion 11 a along the axial direction, and thusnon-rotatably interlock the second cam member 61 with the boss portion11 a. The inner peripheral surface of the second cam member 61 isscrewed into the pressing member 62. Accordingly, it is possible toadjust relative positional relationship in the axial direction betweenthe second cam member 61 and the pressing member 62, and to adjust thedrag force in a predetermined position of the brake-handling lever 45.

The pressing member 62 is a cylindrical member having a brim. The outerperiphery surface of the cylindrical part of the pressing member 62 isscrewed into the second cam member 61. The left-end surface (in view ofFIG. 4) of the brim part slightly protrudes. This protruding partadjoins the outer race of the bearing 32 b.

The pressure adjustment mechanism 65 has an adjusting knob 66 whose endportion 66 a is interlocked with the center of the pressing member 62non-rotatably but movably in the axial direction. The adjusting knob 66is attached to the reel unit 1 rotatably around the center axis of thespool shaft 2, and is configured to emit click sound by the rotation.When the adjusting knob 66 is rotated, the pressing member 62 pivots.Thus, the relative position in the axial direction between the pressingmember 62 and the second cam member 61 screwed into the pressing member62 changes. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the drag force in casewhere the brake-handling lever 45 is in a predetermined position. It isnoted that FIG. 4 shows the state where the pressing member 62 comes incontact with the second cam member 61 to adjust the pressure to theminimum in the lower part relative to the center axis of the spool shaft2, and the state where the pressing member 62 is spaced away from thesecond cam member 61 at the maximum distance to adjust the pressure tothe maximum in the upper part.

As shown in FIG. 8, a reel controller 73 which controls variousinterfaces including the information communication portion 74 and theswitch operation portion 77 is provided inside the first side plate 10of the reel unit 1. A spool sensor 71, a spool counter 72, theinformation communication portion 74, a torque sensor 75, and a battery(not shown) such as a condenser battery for supplying electric power tothe reel controller 73 and the information communication portion 74 areprovided inside the first side plate 10.

The reel controller 73 includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU, aRAM, a ROM, an I/O interface, and the like, which are provided insidethe first side plate 10. The reel controller 73 carries out variouscontrol operations in accordance with pre-stored control programs, suchas controlling the information communication portion 74. As shown inFIG. 8, the reel controller 73 is operatively coupled to the spoolsensor 71 and the spool counter 72 for detecting the rotary directionand the number of rotations (rotational position data) of spool 3. Thereel controller 73 is also operatively coupled to the informationcommunication portion 74, the torque sensor 75, the switch operationportion 77, a memory 78, and other input/output units.

The spool sensor 71 is composed of two lead switches arranged at frontand rear positions. The lead switches detect two magnets mounted on amagnet wheel. The spool counter 72 counts detection pulses, and thus candetect the number of rotations of the spool 3. In addition, the rotarydirection of the spool 3 can be detected based on which of the leadswitches emits the detection pulse earlier.

The spool counter 72 calculates the number of times the spool sensor 71is turned on and off, and rotation position data related to the numberof spool rotations is obtained based on this calculated value. Thenumber of rotations calculated by the spool counter 72 will decreasewhen the spool 3 rotates in the forward direction (the rotation in theline releasing direction), and will increase when the spool 3 rotates inthe opposite direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the torque sensor 75 is of a magnetostrictivetype attached to the spool shaft 2 between the friction disk 26 and theratchet wheel 50. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 7, the torquesensor 75 has magnetostrictors 75 a attached to the spool shaft 2, and adetection coil 75 b disposed around the magnetostrictor 75 a. Themagnetostrictors 75 a are composed of soft magnetic material, such asamorphous alloy foil, and are wound and secured to the spool shaft 2with a space between each other. The concave grooves 75 c and 75 d,which are slanted at different angles to provide magnetic anisotropy,are formed on the surface of magnetostrictor 75 a. The detection coil 75b is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the magnetostrictor75 a. The self-inductance varies according to variation of the magneticpermeability of the magnetostrictor 75 a due to the torsion of the spoolshaft 2. This detection coil 75 b is connected to the reel controller 73(see FIG. 8).

The reel controller 73 performs various kinds of control, such ascontrolling the information communication portion 74, and performs waterdepth calculation processing for obtaining the information on the waterdepth of terminal tackle. In the water depth calculation processing, theinformation on the water depth of terminal tackle is converted from thenumber of rotations of the spool 3 by corresponding the number ofrotations of the spool 3 counted by the spool counter 72 to map datastored in the memory 78. The obtained information on the water depth ofterminal tackle is transmitted to the information communication portion74 as numerical data.

The reel controller 73 performs rotational speed calculation processingfor calculating the rotational speed of the spool 3. In the rotationalspeed calculation processing, the rotational speed of the spool 3 inunit time is calculated based on the number of rotations of the spool 3counted by the spool counter 72, and time information obtained from aninternal clock of the reel controller 73. The obtained information onthe rotational speed of the spool 3 is transmitted to the informationcommunication portion 74 as numerical data.

The reel controller 73 performs the tension calculation processing forconverting the torque of the spool shaft 2 detected by the torque sensor75 into the tension applied to fishing line. In the tension calculationprocessing, the torque applied to the spool 3 is calculated from thetorque of the spool shaft 2 based on the diameter, friction, and thelike, of the spool 2 and the lever drag mechanism 7, and is correctedaccording to the spool bobbin diameter. The tension applied to fishingline is thus calculated. The obtained tension applied to fishing line istransmitted to the information communication portion 74 as numericaldata.

The information communication portion 74 can transmit/receive variouskinds of information to/from an information communication portion 86 ofthe fishing information display apparatus 80, which is provided separatefrom the fishing reel 100, as shown in FIG. 8. The informationcommunication portion 74 is a low-power device, which employs a wirelessmethod usable in a boat for transmission/reception in a relatively smallarea such as UWB (Ultra Wideband). The information communication portion74 can transmit the information on the water depth of terminal tackle,the information on the rotational speed of the spool 3, and theinformation on the tension applied to fishing line, to the informationcommunication portion 86 of the fishing information display apparatus80. In addition, the information communication portion 74 can receivecommand information transmitted from the information communicationportion 86 of the fishing information display apparatus 80, and transmitvarious kinds of information via the reel controller 73 based on thiscommand information. In the information communication portion 74, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the whole unit containing the antenna exposedexternally of the first side plate 10 is covered with a case member madeof synthetic resin.

The switch operation portion 77 is a push type toggle switch for turningthe information communication portion 74 ON/OFF. When an angler turnsthe switch operation portion 77 ON, wireless communication becomesavailable. When the angler turns the switch operation portion 77 OFF,wireless communication becomes unavailable. The switch operation portion77 is disposed near the rear of the information communication portion 74in the upper part of the first side plate 10. The switch operationportion 77 is provided with a power-saving mode, which automaticallyturns power supply OFF when the information communication portion 74does not perform transmission/reception long time. In this case, theinformation communication portion 74 can turn OFF, without the anglerturning the switch operation portion 77 OFF.

The memory 78 is composed of a non-volatilized memory, such as EEPROM,and stores various kinds of data, such as the map data used incalculation of the length of fishing line.

Fishing Information Display Apparatus 80

The fishing information display apparatus 80 can display an echo imageof the floor of fishing area and the water depth of a school of fish,which are acquired by a later-described fish finder 90, as shown in FIG.8. In addition, the fishing information display apparatus 80 can displayan image in which the information on the water depth of terminal tackleobtained from the fishing reel 100 is overlaid on the echo image of thewater depth of the floor and the fish water depth. In order to allow anavigator away from the angler to watch the fishing information displayapparatus 80, the fishing information display apparatus 80 is providedin navigator's room.

As shown in FIG. 9, a fishing information display apparatus 80 has asubstantially rectangular solid shaped upright type body member 81, theinformation communication portion 86 provided in the upper part of thebody member 81, a display portion 85 composed of liquid crystal displayattached to the body member 81, and the switch operation portion 84composed of a plurality of manual operation buttons provided in theright side beside the display portion 85.

As shown in FIG. 9, a battery 82, such as a storage battery forsupplying electric power to the information communication portion 86 andso on, is provided in the internal upper part of the fishing informationdisplay apparatus 80. A buzzer 87 for emitting alarms to report variouskinds of information is provided in the internal lower part of thefishing information display apparatus 80. A monitor controller 83 forvarious kinds of control is provided inside the fishing informationdisplay apparatus 80, as shown in FIG. 8.

The monitor controller 83 includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU,a RAM, a ROM, an I/O interface, and the like, which are provided insidethe body member 81. The monitor controller 83 carries out variouscontrol operations of the information communication portion 86 inaccordance with a control program, such as controlling display of theinformation from the fishing reel 100 and the fish finder 90 on thedisplay portion 85, and transmitting various kinds of commandinformation to the fishing reel 100. The monitor controller 83 isconnected to various kinds of switches of the switch operation portion84, the display portion 85, the information communication portion 86,the buzzer 87, the memory 88, and other input/output units, as shown inFIG. 8.

A plurality of buttons, such as a cursor key for vertically andhorizontally moving a cursor in various kinds of setting options, apower button for turning the display on the display portion 85 ON/OFF,an enter button for setting various kinds of settings, and a displayswitching button, are arranged in the vertical direction in the switchoperation portion 84, as shown in FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 9, the display portion 85 is a dot-matrix type liquidcrystal display, and can display a large amount of various kinds ofinformation. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 10, the displayportion 85 displays a scale SC of water depth at the right end of thescreen, and displays the water depth data D1 of the terminal tackle,which is acquired from the fishing reel 100, on the right side besidethe scale SC. The water depth data D1 is displayed as, for example, afishhook symbolizing the terminal tackle, at a position corresponding toits water depth. Furthermore, the display portion 85 displays the waterdepth data D2 of the sea floor and the water depth data D3 of fish waterdepth, which are received from the fish finder 90, as an echo image dataat the positions corresponding to the respective water depths on theleft side of the scale SC in a time-series manner. Moreover, the displayportion 85 displays a numerical value D2 n of the water depth data D2 ofthe sea floor on the lower left part of the screen, and displays anumerical value D1 n of the water depth data D1 on the upper left partof the screen. In the upper left part of the screen, a value D4 n ofdata of the tension applied to fishing line and a value D5 n of therotational speed data of the spool 3 are displayed in real time underthe value D1 n of the water depth data D1.

The information communication portion 86 can wirelessly transmit/receivevarious kinds of information to/from the information communicationportion 74 of the fishing reel 100 and the information communicationportion 91 of the fish finder 90, as shown in FIG. 8. The informationcommunication portion 86 is a low-power device, which employs a wirelessmethod usable in a boat for transmission/reception to/from theinformation communication portion 74 of the fishing reel 100 and theinformation communication portion 91 of the fish finder 90, in arelatively small area such as UWB (Ultra Wideband). The informationcommunication portion 86 is set to have different communication channelsfor the information communication portion 74 and the informationcommunication portion 91. Thus, interferences between the informationcommunication portion 74 and the information communication portion 91 donot occur. The information communication portion 86 receivesinformation, such as water depth data of the terminal tackle,information on the rotational speed of spool 3, and information on thetension applied to fishing line, from the information communicationportion 74 of the fishing reel 100, and transmits various kinds ofcommand information to the information communication portion 74 of thefishing reel 100. The information communication portion 86 cancommunicate with the information communication portion 91 of the fishfinder 90, and receives information such as the water depth of thefloor, the position of the school of fish. As shown in FIG. 9, theinformation communication portion 86 is provided in the upper part ofthe body member 81, and has a telescopic, rotatable antenna made ofmetal.

As shown in FIG. 9, the buzzer 87 has a speaker in the lower part of thebody member 81, and emits various kinds of alarm sounds and clicksounds.

The memory 88 is composed of a nonvolatile memory, such as EEPROM, andcan store various kinds of data received from the fishing reel 100 andthe fish finder 90. Accordingly, the user can consult past information,or display historical data via the monitor controller 83.

Fish Finder 90

The fish finder 90 is a device that collects information showing thefish water depth of the fish, the situation of the school of fish, andthe travel direction of the school of fish. As shown in FIG. 8, the fishfinder 90 has the information communication portion 91 that wirelesslycommunicates the information on the school of fish to the informationcommunication portion 86 of the fishing information display apparatus80, and the fish-finding controller 92 that is connected to theinformation communication portion 91 and performs various kinds ofcontrol. The information communication portion 91 is a low-power device,which employs a wireless method usable in a boat fortransmission/reception in a relatively small area such as UWB (UltraWideband). Other construction of the fish finder 90 is the same as otherknown fish finders. Thus, the description of other construction of thefish finder 90 is omitted.

When the angler conducts fishing by using these fishing informationdisplay apparatus 80 and fish finder 90, first, the angler turns theswitch operation portion 77 of the fishing reel 100 ON, and thus bringsthe information communication portion 74 to the state capable ofwireless communication. As for the fishing information display apparatus80 and the fish finder 90, the power switches are turned ON, and variouskinds of setting operations are performed, thus, the informationcommunication portions 86 and 91 are brought to the state capable ofwirelessly communicating with one another or with the informationcommunication portion 74. In this case, when the informationcommunication portion 74 of the fishing reel 100 and the informationcommunication portion 86 of the fishing information display apparatus 80are wirelessly connected to each other, the information communicationportion 74 and the information communication portion 86 are in thestandby state and waiting for various kinds of control commands. Whencommand information (transmission request) for requesting transmissionof information on the water depth of terminal tackle, information on therotational speed of spool 3, and information on the tension applied tofishing line is transmitted from the information communication portion86 to the information communication portion 74, the information on thewater depth of terminal tackle, the information on the rotational speedof spool 3, and the information on the tension applied to fishing lineare transmitted from the information communication portion 74 to theinformation communication portion 86. Thus, the information on the waterdepth of terminal tackle, the information on the rotational speed ofspool 3, and the information on the tension applied to fishing line aredisplayed on the display portion 85 via the monitor controller 83. Onthe other hand, information on the school of fish acquired from the fishfinder 90 is transmitted from the information communication portion 91to the information communication portion 86, and is graphicallydisplayed on the display portion 85 with the information on the waterdepth of terminal tackle via the monitor controller 83.

In this fishing reel 100, while the angler trails the terminal tacklethrough the water in trolling, the navigator can know the information onthe water depth of terminal tackle, the information on the rotationalspeed of spool 3, and the information on the tension applied to fishingline from the fishing information display apparatus 80 in real time.Therefore, the navigator can certainly know information whether a fishstrikes, a current fishing situation, and the condition of pull of afish. Thus it is possible to change the boat speed or the traveldirection of the boat easily according to the fishing situation.

Other Embodiments

(a) Although the fishing information display apparatus 80 is used as anexample of a display provided externally of the fishing reel 100 in theforegoing embodiment, other information terminals having displayportion, such as a cellular telephone, a potable game device, PDA(Personal Digital Assistants), and a note type PC may be used. Also, thefishing information display apparatus 80 that displays the informationacquired from the fish finder 90 may also display information from aglobal positioning system (GPS) installed in the fishing boat.Alternatively, the fishing information display apparatus 80 may displayonly information acquired from the fishing reel 100. In addition, thefishing information display apparatus 80 may be configured to bewirelessly connected to a plurality of fishing reels 100, and to displaythe respective various kinds of information obtained from the pluralityof fishing reels 100. Moreover, a small fish finder 90 that canwirelessly communicate with the fishing reel 100 may be used as thedisplay provided externally of the fishing reel 100. In other words, afishing information display 80′ may be integrated with a fish finder90′, as shown in FIG. 13.

(b) Although the battery, such as a condenser battery, which supplieselectric power to the information communication portion 74 of thefishing reel 100, is provided inside of the second side plate 11 in theforegoing embodiment, the present invention is not limited to suchconstruction. For example, a button battery may be alternativelyattached inside the reel unit 1 (at least one of the reel body 12, thefirst side plate 10, and the second side plate 11), or a solar cell maybe mounted to the exterior of the reel unit 1, to supply electric power.Furthermore, electric power may be supplied by connecting a code from abattery provided externally of the reel unit 1. Moreover, the powergenerator for generating electric power by rotation of spool 3 may beadditionally provided, such that this power generator can supplyelectric power. In the case where the solar cell or the power generatorsupplies electric power, electric power may be temporally stored in acondenser battery, such as a capacitor, such that electric power can bestably supplied.

(c) Although the information communication portion 74 is disposed in thefront part of the first side plate 10 of the reel unit 1 in theforegoing embodiment, it also may be disposed in the second side plate11 of the reel unit 1, as shown in FIG. 11. The informationcommunication portion 74, which is provided so as to be exposedexternally of the first side plate 10 in the foregoing embodiment, maybe accommodated inside the first side plate 10, or may have a structuredetachable from the first side plate 10. Moreover, although theinformation communication portion 74 is covered with a case member madeof synthetic resin in the foregoing embodiment, the present invention isnot limited to such construction. For example, a telescopic, rotatableantenna made of metal with directivity may be used as the informationcommunication portion.

(d) Although UWB (Ultra Wideband) is used as a wireless communicationmethod for the information communication portion 74 in the foregoingembodiment, the present invention is not limited to such construction.Other wireless communication methods, such as Bluetooth, certainlow-power radio communications, infrared transmissions, may also beused. Moreover, although the information communication portion 74performs both transmission and reception in the foregoing embodiment, itmay perform only transmission. In this case, the informationcommunication portion 86 of the fishing information display apparatus 80may perform only reception.

(e) Although the switch operation portion 77 for turning the informationcommunication portion 74 ON/OFF is provided on the upper part of thefirst side plate 10 of the fishing reel 100 in the foregoing embodiment,it may be provided on the side of the first side plate 10, or in thefirst side plate 10 side. Furthermore, the switch operation portion 84of the fishing information display apparatus 80 may be configured toturn the information communication portion 74 ON/OFF without providingthe switch operation portion 77 in the fishing reel 100. Alternatively,the switch operation portions may be provided both for the fishing reel100 and the fishing information display apparatus 80. Moreover, theswitch operation portion 77 is not limited to the push type toggleswitch, but it may be a slide-type switch with waterproof structure, forexample.

(f) Although the torque sensor 75 is attached to the spool shaft 2between the friction disk 26 and the ratchet wheel 50 in the foregoingembodiment, the present invention is not limited to such construction.The torque sensor 75 may be attached to other part of the spool shaft 2,or the handle shaft 5, the lever drag mechanism 7, or the like.Furthermore, the tension detection portion of the present invention isnot limited to the torque sensor 75. Instead, a piezo-electric element79 may be disposed on the tooth portion of the ratchet wheel 50 as shownin FIG. 12, such that the piezo-electric element 79 detects distortion.Moreover, a strain sensor may be provided instead of the piezo-electricelement 79.

According to the present invention, a fishing reel is provided with atension detection portion that detects tension applied to fishing line,and a tension output portion that can externally output the detected thetension that is applied to fishing line. Therefore, a navigator cancertainly know the current fishing situation from the tension applied tofishing line.

As used herein, the following directional terms “forward, rearward,above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well asany other similar directional terms refer to those directions of adevice equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, asutilized to describe the present invention should be interpretedrelative to a device equipped with the present invention.

The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section orpart of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructedand/or programmed to carry out the desired function.

Moreover, terms that are expressed as “means-plus function” in theclaims should include any structure that can be utilized to carry outthe function of that part of the present invention.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately”as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modifiedterm such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example,these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% ofthe modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of theword it modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

1. A fishing information display apparatus provided externally of afishing reel that is adapted to be attached to a fishing rod, thefishing information display apparatus being configured to receive datacommunicated from the fishing reel, the fishing information displayapparatus comprising: a body member; a display portion provided in thebody member; a communication portion receiving tension data from thefishing reel of tension applied to the fishing line, and thecommunication portion receiving rotational speed data of a spool of thefishing reel; and a controller displaying on the display portion thetension data received from the fishing reel, and the controllerdisplaying on the display portion the rotational speed data of thespool.
 2. A fishing information display apparatus provided externally ofa fishing reel that is adapted to be attached to a fishing rod, thefishing information display apparatus being configured to receive datacommunicated from the fishing reel, the fishing information displayapparatus comprising: a body member; a display portion provided in thebody member; a communication portion receiving tension data from thefishing reel of tension applied to the fishing line, and thecommunication portion receiving from the fishing reel water depth dataof a terminal tackle attached to fishing line when the terminal tackleis submerged; and a controller displaying on the display portion thetension data received from the fishing reel, and the controllerdisplaying on the display portion the water depth data of the terminaltackle.
 3. The fishing information display apparatus as set forth inclaim 2, wherein the communication portion receives data from a fishfinder that is provided externally of the fishing information displayapparatus, and the controller displays on the display portion the datafrom the fish finder.
 4. The fishing information display apparatus asset forth in claim 3, further comprising a fish finder portion thatobtains fish location data, wherein the controller displays on thedisplay portion the fish location data from the fish finder portion. 5.A fishing information display system, comprising: a plurality of fishingreels each being attached to a fishing rod to wind and to release afishing line, each of the plurality of fishing reels including a reelunit being mounted on the fishing rod, a spool being rotatably attachedto the reel unit, the fishing line being adapted to be wound around thespool, a handle being provided in the reel unit to rotate the spool, atension detector detecting tension applied to the fishing line, and afirst communication portion transmitting tension data applied to thefishing line detected by the tension detector; and a fishing informationdisplay apparatus being provided externally of the plurality of fishingreels, and receiving data communicated from the plurality of fishingreels, the fishing information display apparatus including a bodymember, a display portion being provided in the body member, a secondcommunication portion receiving tension data from the plurality offishing reels of tension applied to a respective fishing line, and acontroller displaying on the display portion the tension data receivedfrom the plurality of fishing reels.